Universal support



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, otra stares ALFRED COPONY, OF MUNT CLEMENS, AND FERDTNAND ZGANEK, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

Application led September T0 all 'whom i?? may concern:

Be it known that we, ALFRED CoroNr and FERDINAND ZroANnK, respectively a citizen of the Austrian Republic, and a subject of the King of Roumanie., residents, respectively, of Mount Clemens, in the county of Macomb and State of Michigan, and of Detroit, in the county of llilayne and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful liniversal Support, of which the following is a. specification. v

This invention relates to improvements in universal supports which provide suitable means for efficiently supporting holding or clamping devices for machine tools or vises, andthe aim of our improvement is, first, tohold van object in any desired position in relation to any tool with perfect security. and, second, to produce such improvement in such a form' that it can be manufactured at a price within the reach of the majority of 4 possible users.

@ther objects will appear in the course of the following description.

Our invention'is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1. is a vertical section through the universal support showing its use in connection with a vise on a work bench. Fig.-2. is a section along line A-A. of Fig. 1.. Fig.l 3. is a top view lof F ig. 1. with locking bolt, vise-and top plate removed. Fig. Lhis a view in direction B of Fig; 1. and illustrates the locking lever and eccentric of the device o-nly.

Similar reference charactersrefer to like partsthroughout the several views.

Referring to this drawing, 4 represents a yvise with a flat base as is .ordinarily used in machine shopsfor bench work. This vise vis secured by means of set screws to a. top plate 3 -which is provided at its lower end with a spherical recess, -open at its lowermost point-and extending downwardlywell belowthe center of the sphere. A centering hole 12 at the center of the top plate and an auxiliary hole 13 are provided in the top plate. This top plate 3 rests on a plurality of spherical sector pieces 2 made of steel or any lother substantialbut fiex'ible material by pressing. They are hollow, open on their inner side, flanged onthose sides that are in a plane radial to the mainvertical axis of the sphere and their outer spherical surface is in close fitting but slidable Contact with UNIVERSAL SUPPORT.

4, 1920. Serial No. 408,199.

rtphe inner spherical surface of top plate 3. ihe uppermost portion of theflanges of these sectorl pieces 2 are recessed to provide a. seating surface for a locking bolt l while the lcwermost outside portion of these sector pieces 2 are bent inwardly, upwardly 'and then downwardly in a semi-circular shape, while the flanged sides of these sector pieces are cut out at the lower end in such a manner that they fit in close cont-act over such lower outside recessed portion of the ysector pieces, thereby effectively reinforcing them. These sector pieces rest on an annularbase 1 which engages said lower recesses of the sector pieces 2. This base 1 is further provided with a central boss 19, bored to receive a locking bolt T and can be fastened to the bench top 5 by means of bolts and nuts 6. lt is therefor obvious that sector pieces 2 forming a flexible sphere, can be rotated simultaneously on base plate 1 while top' plate 3 can be rotated and tilted in any direction on sector pieces 2.

Locking bolt 7 has a flat head 2O fitting Ainto the uppermost recesses-of sector pieces 2 and is provided at its top central portion with a teat 11 which will engagefsnugly with a pivot center hole 12 when moved in an upward direction. A cotterpin 10, washers 9 and a partially compressed coil spring 8 provide means for enga cing locking bolt 7 with the inside lower portion of the sector pieces 2 thereby giving the locking bolt 7 a constant upward pull. The lower end of this locking bolt 7 engages a pivot nut 14 straddled by a stirrup ecccentric lwhich is tied against spreading by means of stay bolt 16. The active outside eccentricsurface of the stirrup is symmetrical in relation to its long axis bisecting` handle 18 and stay bolt 1G, and is made up of two curves compassthe active working surface of the eccentric, the first curve providingfor a relatively long downward stroke of bolt when handle 18 is shifted'fromfa position almost horizontal to one nearly 30 degrees. from the horizontal while the second portion of the eccentric working curve provides for an additional, relatively short downward stroke of bolt when handle 18 is shifted from a position nearly 30 degrees fromthe horizontal to an almost vertical position. This gives a comparatively long disengagingstroke with limited power O11 top 0f an additional,

swiveling the latter. revolve v`the viseon the sphere using teat 11 Y short compression stroke with relatively high power; Handle 18 engages stirrup` eccentric by means of a hole in the central portion of the stirrup and further by means of a nut 17 which is securely seated in rectangular openings in the' sides of the stirrup eccentric. This stirrup works against the lowermost llat surface ol boss 1%).

In operation the universal support will work as follows:-

If the universal support should be used as swivel sup-port, topermit. thel viseA being turned in. afhorizontal plane only, eccentric lever 18 is pulled up to an almost horizontal'positi'on thereby permitting the locking bolt 7 to move to its uppermost .position bringing teat 11 into engagement with centering hole 12 of Vthe top plate by slightly lt then is possiblel to ast a center and thereby keeping the vise in a horizontal plane.V `By pushing handle 18- into a position almost vertical from. Vthe almost horizontal position teat 11 vbecomes disengaged `from the centering hole 12, spring 81 will be compressed and as Ysoon as vdisengagem-ent is complete the llat head of ALl() the locking bolt 7 will press down on ribs of sector pieces'2 and as all the sector pieces .are flexible they will expand the sphere, of

which they are component parts, in its largestv horizontal diameter and thereby lock lthe top plate to the base. It is obvious, that on deflection of the sector pieces their outside spherical surface will be in intimate Aand locking. contact with the inside spherical surface ol' they top plate. The comparatively largest deflection oit thefsphere ,will not exceed 1/100 part of an' inchal'ter reasonable Wear.

Should the vise be set in any .position at an angle inclined to the horizontal, locking will take place in an exactly similar manner.

In case this universal base should be used jfor assembling work where it is necessary to hold the object to be assembled in different Apredetermined positions tilted towards the horizontal plane, l auxiliary stop holes 13 "come into play, kwhich engage teat 1.1. of

lockingbolt 7 in a similar manner as shown with pivot center hole 12. y

Many other'- `changes in the details of construction may be inade by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of our invention. For instance, the supporting sphere could be made of two pressed lhalf spheres vertically Vslotted to increase the llexibility and still be eflicient as long ask the dellecting means are 'maintained Two `oi? these universal supports maybe used in combination in order to produce a rswinging arc in any direction with double 'the compass of swing possessed by one `universal support.

VHaving set forth our invention, we claim:-

1. ln a universal support, the combination of a top plate with an internal spheriallyexpandable, vertically compressible,y de:- L

form-able base, a. base plate to snpporti and rotatably mount said deformable hase, to .loclably .engage by friction ithe. interior spherical lrecess of said top plate,

'means to fasten said base plateto a table,v

rand means for deformingsaid spherical ibase to lockably engage by friction the interior "spherical recess ol' said top plate. y

4. In a universal' support, the combination 3. In a universal support, the combnaof atop plate with an internal -sp'hericah recess, to rotatably and tiltably engave a spherical deformable base, 'means for ibookab'ly and Vrotatably engaging the walls of said recess of said top platewith the head of a locking bolt, a spherical, vertically compressible, Ylaterally 'expandable deformable base above referred'to, a base plate adapted to support androtatably engage said spherical deformabley base, Vsaid locking boltV to Vdeform said spherical deformable base and means for rotatablyiengaging said locking bolt with the' walls of said recess 4of saidtop plate, Vwhen the' spherical de- `i'ormable base is non-deformed.V

5.1n a nniversalsupport, the combinaltion of a top plate with an internal vspherical recess to rotatably and tiltably engage a spherical deformable-base, al spherical deformable, laterally expandable, vertically Acompressible'base Vabove referred to', a base plate to support said spherical-base, a boss on said .base plate-to provide a Irion-resilient supportfor means todeform said spherical deformablel base, and means todeOrm 'said base, toV lockably fengageby friction the spherical recess osaid top plate.

6. In auniversal support, the combination of a top plate with a hollow spherical recess to rotatably and tiltably engage` aspherical deformable base, said spherical deformable base, a base plate with an annular bearing surface to rotatably engage said spherical deformable base, a locking bolt to deform said spherical deformable base and means for non-resiliently connecting said locking bolt With said base-plate in a locked position.

7. In a universal support, the combination of a top plate with a hollow spherical recess to rotatably and tiltably engage a spherical deformable base, there being holes in the Walls of said spherical recess to engage a lookin@ bolt, a spherical deformable base above re erred to, a base plate adapted -to engage said spherical deformable base, a

locking bolt to deform said spherical deformable base, means for rotatably engaging said looking bolt With holes in the spherical recess of said top plate and means for connecting said locking bolt with said base plate in a locked position.

8. In a universal support, the combination of a top plate having an internal socket fitting a deformable ball rotatable and tiltable thereon, a deformable ball above referred to, a base plate adapted to engage said deformable ball and provided with an integral boss, a locking bolt to deform said deformable ball, an eccentric with double locking curves Working on the said integral boss of said base plate to give said looking bolt a comparative fast disengaging motion from the pivot position with the top plate and a relatively slow locking motion When deforming said ball.

9. In a universal support, the combination of a top plate having an internal socket extending below the center of such socket fitting a flexible ball rotatable and tiltable thereon, provided with holes in the Walls of said socket to engage the top of a locking bolt, a'flexible ball, a base plate adapted to rotatably engage said flexible ball and having an integral boss to provide a nonyielding support, means to deform said flexible ball and engage said flexible ball with thesocket of said top plate, means for rotatably engaging said locking bolt with said holes in the ball socketk of said top plate When said flexible ball is non-deformed and an eccentric With double locking curves Working on the boss of said base plate to give said locking bolt a comparatively fast ydisengaging motion from the pivotal position With the top plate and a relatively slow locking motion when deforming said ball.

ALFRED COPONY. FERDINAND ZIGANEK. Witnesses Max CoLTER, DONALD A. Ross. 

